Your options don’t always have to mean built-in cupboards, closets and cabinets. Bring home one of these aesthetic and functional pieces
Your options don’t always have to mean built-in cupboards, closets and cabinets. Bring home one of these aesthetic and functional pieces
If there’s one thing every home never has enough of, it’s storage. We have the over-cupboard cupboards, the underbed options, and tonnes of built-ins in every room, but the story is always the same: too many things, not enough storage. That’s why we keep looking for more and more options. And end up building into almost every wall in the home — so much so that there’s barely a blank wall that allows the placing of artwork and memorabilia.
“The modern lifestyle means we have a problem of plenty. Too many things, and not enough place to store them in. This makes it important to make space for storage so that your home does not resemble a store room of sorts,” says Anjali Desai, a Vadodara-based interior designer.
But, storage solutions don’t have to mean cupboards, closets and cabinets. Give the built-ins a break by bringing home one of these pieces of furniture that look good while providing you with ample space for storage.
Derived from the Latin “armarium”, which translates into cupboard, an armoire has two doors and may have a drawer or two set beneath the doors for extra storage. This ornate piece of furniture helps you tuck away quite a lot.
Sideboard
Also called a buffet, a sideboard is a piece of furniture that’s synonymous with dining rooms. The surface is mainly used for display and sometimes to set out a buffet while the drawers provide considerable storage.
Bookshelf
No home should be deprived of this one. Wood or metal, the horizontal shelves can hold books and décor accents. Or else, try bookcases with glass-paned doors to keep the dust out.
Chest of drawers
Rustic small wooden chest of drawers cabinet built in the classic American Southwest furniture style from natural pine wood. The basic piece has a plain and simple design, with handles crudely formed of wrought iron metal. Vertical format, cut out and isolated on white background with no people.
| Photo Credit: YangYin
Earlier known as a bureau, this piece of furniture can be used in any room. Usually rectangular, it comprises multiple horizontal drawers stacked on top of each other. It may or may not have legs and usually has three, five or seven drawers.
Bombe chest
The structure of a Bombe chest, which originated in France, differs considerably from the regular chest. The sides and front bulge outwards and then curve inwards at the base, creating a swollen-looking chest. Extremely ornamental!
Breakfront chest
Much like the chest of drawers but with one major difference! The cabinet is divided into three vertical sections with the central segment projecting outwards to “break the front” of the chest. Use in multiple ways!
Bachelor’s chest
A scaled-down version of the chest of drawers, this one’s ideal for all the little things that never seem to find a home. The masculine name comes from the use of solid wood and dark colours; most of these chests have three drawers.
China cabinet
History reveals that Queen Mary (1689-1702) loved her China and ordered a cabinet be made to display her collection. Since then, these tall cabinets with glass doors have been used to store and display china.
Trolley
Not a fixture in most homes, but this multipurpose piece can be pressed into service depending on your need. It could play the bar at a smallish cocktail on the terrace, be used to place condiments and jars during a children’s party, or routinely house a changing display of books and flowers in the living room.
Life-changing magic
Every home is an ongoing project, especially when it comes to maintenance. Focusing only on the décor and ignoring the organisation is bound to land you in a mess — a literal one.
Storage options may be plentiful, but it’s important that homeowners don’t hoard things that they don’t need. The first rule of storage — before sorting and organising — is editing. It is important to ditch things that are unnecessary and reduce clutter.
Japanese organisational and minimalist maven Marie Kondo achieved worldwide fame with her first book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and exhorted everyone to try her KonMari method to keep homes tidy so they continue sparking joy. Her philosophy is simple: have nothing that does not spark joy.
